Window Treatments Blog

window blinds example: mini blinds

In keeping with the educational theme of this blog, I thought I would review some of the basics.  I am aware that there is confusion over the terms, window blinds and window shades.  The catch-all phrase seems to be window blinds or blinds.  But not all window treatments are blinds.  So just what constitutes a blind versus a shade.  Allow me to illuminate.  I notice that people search our site using terms like:  roller blinds, cellular blinds, roman blinds – even plantation blinds – and many other examples of this mismatching of terms.  I understand this confusion.  Let’s face it window treatments are not top-of-mind for most people so the ignorance factor is correspondingly high. 

Just to be clear a window blind is not a shade and vice versa.  So calling a cellular shade a cellular blind is a bit of an oxymoron.  So just what is a window blinds and what is a window shade?  First, a window blind has slats, in the case of horizontal blinds, or vanes, in the case of vertical blinds.  Examples of window blinds include:  mini blinds, wood and faux wood blinds and vertical blinds.  Horizontal blinds operate in two ways:  you can open and close the slates for light control or you can open them up completely by use of the cord.  Vertical blinds have vanes, as mentioned, and they too work the same way except to open them up all the way, they ’stack’ to one side of the window (usually patio doors).

window shade example: cellular shade w/ top-down, bottom-up feature

Window shades do not have slats or vanes.  They are generally composed of one continuous piece of fabric that either rolls up, e.g.  roller shades and solar shades, or folds up, e.g. roman shades and cellular shades.  Therefore light control is handled differently with shades than blinds.  Whereas a shade is either open or shut and the amount of light allowed in is dependant on the type of material the shade is made with, e.g.  sheer, semi-opaque, opaque or blackout.   A list of examples include:  cellular shades, roman shades, pleated shades, roller shades and solar shades.  One feature that shades have that blinds don’t is the top-down/bottom up feature.  This feature allows you to lower the top half (good for privacy) or bottom half of the shade, independently. 

horizontal sheer shades

The only exception to this definition of blinds and shades are sheer shades, which are a hybrid combining the features of both a blind and shade.  Sheer shades, which are also logically called sheer blinds  feature two sheer fabric facings – like a shade – over soft fabric vanes – like horizontal blinds. There are also sheer vertical blinds which feature a light filtering material between hanging fabric or vinyl vanes – like vertical blinds.  Sheer shades are unique and useful but not necessarily the best choice for room darkening.

Plantation shutters - painted

And, to close, just a quick word on shutters, which are commonly called plantation shutters.  Shutters are in a class by themselves.  That said, they are obviously closer in functionality to blinds than shades.  In fact, they are often called plantation blinds.  We have all seen shutters and rather than launch into a description, I will just offer you a picture.